[Reader-list] Public History: In support of Sanjay Kak, Namrata, Arif and others

[ARNAB CHATTERJEE]

Dear all,
           I think the debate is all set now and I'm
trying to take it away from sheeer casual verbal
exchange to some subtantive main points. And
everything will be clear.More when everybody joins.
And this is in solidarity again with Namrata for
celebrating Kak; Arif who had posted this review.  
   Firstly, let us take first the public historian
issue. Modern history is essentially public history
tied to state forms and related publicity agendas. A
separate public history is senseless. And a Review has
the tendency to pass off as an object of easy public
reading where a reviewer is free to pass off anything
as judgment ( Meaghan Morris in his Pirates book told
a lot about this); it rarely tries to justify what it
is saying by arguing with other contenders. Similar
with  the history book in question. As if vulgarising
in the name of economy makes things public; Historian
becomes public historian by trying to become popular.
This is out and out wrong. The phrase public in terms
of public reasoning refers to that where particular,
individual  reasons and interests are transcended to
augur with the reason of the public--in favour of
normative legitimacy. Therefore even if public history
is used in a special sense, it is that which trascends
--for instance--- narrow dynastic history and not
succumbs to it as Ramachandra Guha does in his book 
endorsed in a former review by Subramaniam. One might
conjecture in this special sense, history of royal
lineages (Romila Thapar talked about stuti or eulogy
for ancient indian )or dynastic genealogies in that
sense may be narrated as private histories per se.
This is just the opposite of what Subrahmaniam
says.His review does this mistake in an hour of
celebration.
So much for today. Shall come back for more on this
'journalism informed history.'

yours in discourse and debt
Arnab 






-


      Save all your chat conversations. Find them online at http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php